


four mistakes

by chillingadventuresof



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Chief of Staff Edward Nygma, F/F, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Jealous Oswald Cobblepot, Mayor Oswald Cobblepot, Mentioned Victor Zsasz, Protective Oswald Cobblepot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:14:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24821431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chillingadventuresof/pseuds/chillingadventuresof
Summary: if oswald killed isabella, he would try to kill his new partner again so it only makes sense to edward that the logical way of proving barbara kean's words are by hiring a trained assassin to fake a relationship with and wait for the penguin to take the bait.
Relationships: Edward Nygma/Reader, Edward Nygma/You
Comments: 3
Kudos: 24





	1. the first mistake

The law of three never seemed to break. You’ve always firmly believed that when something hit the number three, things couldn’t get any worse, that’s why you were surprised when your forth mistake was the worst you could’ve possibly made even if it wasn’t really your mistake. 

The first mistake. 

When the crazy hands of the megalomaniac woman whose thoughts were numbled by the obsession on Jim Gordon knock on your door along with the man that didn’t fail to terrorize the city with bombs but ended up being the new mayor’s right hand, you don’t answer. You don’t move, breathe or aim to reach for your gun and the last thing you should do is open the door to hear her news. That’s the first mistake you made. 

The thing was that the two did put your boredom out of it’s misery, you were stuck on the routine of the assassination bussiness and hearing about their proposal made your mind fill with curiosity. You weren’t going to lie, maybe what filled you with curiosity was with whom you needed to spend most of your time with or maybe what filled you with curiousity was the thought of the plan going wrong and having a target on your back.

Outsmarting the people that had a target on you was one of the many thing that Victor accidentally glued you. Work was ludicrous when you didn’t know if a gun would be pointing at you all the time. The rush made it all seem like a challenge and killing those whose jobs were especially killing you was the cherry on the cake, perhaps the irony of the situation made it all better. 

You had to ask why. Having all the people that could have begged for being a part of that plan, why would they try to hire you? 

“You are the most capable person to defend yourself in case everything goes as planned,” When Barbara went serious, you knew better than to shut up. “don’t even try to deny that you are a known figure inside the underworld, which happen to be one of the many reason that connects you two.” After the second reason she couldn’t help but to laugh thinking of another reason. “And plus, you are gorgeous.”

For the last reason he didn’t even contradict her. If the dark version of him would have remained there, he for sure could picture his comments about the figure in front of them that contemplated him with a raised brow. The fact that his other self would be rejoicing with notions about the woman and the whole deal about his best friend killing the woman he loves, made his jaw clenched as his felt the resentful comments crawl out of his mouth even without thinking it. 

You soon discovered that allocating alongside with the most ingenious person in Gotham was as captivating as it sounded, you thought he would’ve of mocked you for not being as astute as he was but it seemed that he gained irate out of your intelligence and from time to time, when you made a smart remark, he proceed to grant you a lousy comment… so you made your efforts to piss him off briskly.

“Everyone’s entitled to act stupid once in awhile, but you really abuse the privilege.” Your name would often accompany the comebacks. There was something about the way that his tongue would linger between the vocals of your name or how his eyes would blister at your remark only to be responded by a infuriating tone on his voice… maybe what really accomplished to wake your attention was the smirk upon the blonde’s lips, how amused she seemed at any interactions you two had almost as if the cogs inside her head were working at the speed of light. 

The plan seemed to move on pretty quickly so when you first showed yourself on the mayor’s mansion, Oswald Cobblepot had already heard about you at least twice but it didn’t stop him to start an entire investigation about you. 

The first time he heard your name being accompanied by a ramble —Was Edward Nygma even capable of rambling?— about how pretty your eyes were, that woke his curiosity because he usually worked with Zsasz. He was well aware of your name and who you were loyal to, it was difficult winning part of your loyalty and to this day he wasn’t even sure if he had it, that was why he sent you on the most boring missions. He wasn’t sure if you would ally with the powerful enemies so instead he sent Victor to take them out. 

The second time your name escaped out of the man’s lips was one week later of the first one, when he asked Ed where he was every afternoon after the meetings were done for the day. Penguin’s ears were painted in red, the rage filling his entire body after looking the man he loves blush after admitting he regularly visted other person that wasn’t him. Jealousy was eating him alive at that point. 

When his eyes met yours for the first time, you quickly realized how threatened he felt and you felt bad for him. You often tortured people physically so you forgot that psychological torture was something even scarier until you saw Oswald Cobblepot.

You asked yourself how long was going to pass until he actually tried to kill you, was he going to kill you slow because he wanted Ed or was he going to kill you quick because he cared about Ed? How far was this man willing to go for the person he loved? 

Before he got the chance to modulate a word, the arms of the tall man were around you almost asphyxiating you with the amount of cologne he had on. 

“I’m glad you came.” There was something about the way he acted that made you want to cackle, he was often so serious when he met you at your house that seeing his smile in front of you made him seem as if he was another person. 

You could spot by the corner of your eyes how devastated the man on your left appeared to be and it only inspired you to playfully leave a kiss on the cheek of the man not stopping even after seeing the astonished look on his eyes. “Of course I came.” 

The voice of Oswald didn’t seem to startle neither of you, the whole point of that scene was to be displayed in front of his eyes. It too didn’t amazed you how quickly he came up with excuses to cancel your evening together not knowing that was the first of many visits from you. 

The first afternoons that you would stop by the house you would meet Oswald’s raging gaze and spend hours just staring at Edward with backround music so you could fake your encounter right behind the guilty’s nose.


	2. the second mistake

The second mistake.

The sirens was your shelter after you were practically kicked out of house with a lame excuse from the little man, Barbara was beginning to grow on you to the point where she opened to you over certain topics that were a little sensitive for strangers to be talking. Despite of being a reserved person who couldn’t trust your secrets on every person you met, you were safe to call her a friend even if she constantly mocked your patience or wanted you to spill by accident things about your past with billions of questions that only Victor knew the answer. 

So, of course, after having too many drinks one day you openly complained about the silence of the mayor’s right hand. “He doesn’t even attempt to talk to me, Barbs. I can’t stand it, I’ve had enough of him.” 

“You’ve had enough of him or you’ve had enough of his silence?” she chuckled, another thing that with time you began to get used to. “If you want to get to know the Riddler, make the first move yourself.”

The second mistake you made was listening again to Barbara. One afternoon after hearing a snarky comment from the mayor and being dragged to Edward’s room by the owner of it, you broke the silence. 

“Could you give me a riddle?” you knew that if you asked a riddle yourself he wouldn’t even get his gaze out of the book to give you the answer with a monotone voice.

The reaction you had to the question was better than you thought. He put the book aside only to give you a smirk and responding your requests. “What’s in it for me?” 

The incessant song that played as a tool to distraction finally made you sick colliding with the bad tempered person, giving you the necessary reasons to turn it off and murmur. “Maybe that we could use the time to get along? Or do you want a deeper reason such as that I could go over there and tell him that I’m the bait?” 

“I will strangle you.” He tenaciously caressed her cheek leaving the hand to rest on it as a direct threat. Everyone knew the origins of the Riddler and you were not an exception. 

You carefully bumped his nose to yours, sliding his hand to your neck and whispered inches away from his lips, almost kissing him. “I hope that’s a promise.” 

Something in Edward moved almost as if his mind suffered a shortcut after admiring the stare uninterrupted that you kept even though you moved during the whole sentence. 

The limping sound approaching the room made you wink at the man smiling at you signalling what was about to happen, him moving the hand from your neck to it’s back and the free hand on your waist. Yours went to his sharp cheekbones that had your eyes traveling to them almost seconds after meeting him and your left hand tortured him by pulling his hair. 

By the instant the man dared to flip the door open, he encountered a picture that took the breath out of his lungs. His eyes flickered closed almost as if a knife was being pulled inside his chest and pulled out within seconds. 

‘_Of course a dazzling man with a distinct brain was also going to be a great kisser_’ you thought to yourself almost frustrated to be swooning over the taste of his lips.

Penguin, alternatively from your joy, finally worked out the courage to talk having just experienced the dreadful feeling of having his heart shattered in front of his face. The covetous mayor shot an eye to you, excusing the man still holding your waist roughly with a particular reason just like every time he walked through the door encountering you both in (what it seemed but it wasn’t) the middle of a conversation. 

Who were you kidding? You spent the way back to the house expecting an assassin and inventing ways to get away with it, the paranoia made you believe many stupid things that could get you murdered like potion inside the toothpaste, a bomb inside your bed, the water tank in your house being replaced by acid. Many extravagant deaths that one would expect only to be executed by Oswald’s hands. 

You muttered to yourself how doomed you were and how dumb you have to be if the second mistake you make is wanting to get to know Edward Nygma and allowing him to get to know you. 

You definitely were dumb enough to shift the weight of your body from side to side when you met the man that paid you to fake your feelings vibrantly thrusting to you and grabbing your wrist without the fake greetings due to the absence of the bird man. 

He pushed your shoulders enough so you could sit on the chair in front of the desk that was covered in books esthetically placed on top of each other and one thing shined with it’s uniqueness. The Rubik’s cube was the one thing that wasn’t a book and was symmetrically positioned between the gap of your hands. 

You dared to inspect the face of the man that was doing the same with your face, both without expecting any type of emotion yet searching for it anyways. “You asked if I could give you a riddle.” 

“I was…” You were about to explain what you meant but being pretty sure he knew, on the contrary you chosen to appreciate the man’s riddle with a smile. 

The music began to fill your ears once again, it became a routine almost immediately but at least today you had a game in your hands that was keeping you too busy to notice the eyes fixating on your whole face, only to focus after awhile in a very important detail that was drawing all his attention from the book on his hands.

“If you bite your lip one more time, I’m going to do it for you.” And the whole room went silent, filled with the sound of Vivaldi but still too silent. You never realized that the comment made your whole body tense taken aback after being too stuck on the colored cube. 

You tried to act it out by softly laying your head upon the palm of your hand. He was amused to see you trying but still got perplexed with your eyebrows being raise. “Is that so?”

Tauntingly your inferior lip obviously got caught by your teeth, daring the killer to go near you; crazing that he would kept the promise. But instead, he crossed his legs focusing his sight on everything but you. 

“Why would you want to make conversation?” 

Cursing the name of your friend, asuming it was her the one that bluffed your protests. “It’s boring when it’s just silence.”

“Were you expecting the job to be any different?” he wondered. 

“I don’t know what I expected to come out of the offer, Nygma.” You huffed, his name provoking the submissive side of his to explain his behavior. 

That was the first afternoon he talked about everything that went down with Penguin. The ups and downs; what they owed to each other; Isabella and her tragic mysterious accident. You even tried to defend the mad man by giving your boss examples of how love could drive people insane, he took the risk of asking if you were talking about personal experience. How bold he was to defy your silence amazed you, giving him only a peak into your memories. 

The week after that turned out to work as therapy sessions, you once in awhile would humor him with your past, but what blotted the lines was the part where he dragged you into his room, every day seeming more genuine than the day before. That’s when you started to see him as a partner rather than the guy that paid your bills. 

When you first heard about Basil, a malicious grin grew bigger on your lips. “Why would you stop to ruin his love life and instead move further? Take everything he loves, not only you.”

The suggestion sounded in his ears as a cold melody finally being released from the instrument. The big brain of his felt attracted to you in more ways that you could’ve imagined, having him actually fighting in his interior to reign over confusion. He always loved the ones that seemed weak, submissive, almost awkward as his old self but something in the reassuring way you talked, your legs bumping with his knees everytime the two were close enough to admire the other’s features, or maybe the combination in the two when you got loose on a kiss and ended up having the act put aside getting rougher only to be interrupted by the blue eyed man. 

You were definitely not his type. With all the flirt and the passive-agressive attitude, you were his type of enemy. 

But he had to make sure. 

That night, a crest-fallen mayor crept in the darks by resting on his couch. He was spotted by the two that didn’t stop to meet his gaze, you both knew you had to play along and torment him with the sound of your desperate lips searching for comfort. One thing that did surprise you as well as the lover was the words that came out of Ed’s mouth.

“I love you,” your ears tingled after hearing those three words that were never referred to you. 

There was something that those words unchained in you. Constantly hearing the mumble of them inside the mouths of your victim along with different names but they never were accompanied by your name. 

You had discovered the power that a kiss had, it could seal promises and it could prevent you to slip your cover. You weren’t sure what was the reason that made you lean forward but it definitely was a little bit of those. You couldn’t love him, were you that hopeless to blurry the fantasy from reality? Was that because of your solitude? 

The way your pink brim synchronized with his bright smile almost made both forget your denial, there was something inside the ritualistic dance of the tongues that sent waves of need to every edge in your body. 

When Barbara Kean told you all about Jim Gordon, you discarded it all as an obsession. But oh, how the tables have turned and now you were the one desirous for a man that couldn’t pay any less attention to you. 

That’s when you realized you had crossed your final destination which was your third mistake.


	3. the third mistake

The third mistake. 

The unlucky number was mocking his way to you, reminding you about how your last mistake of course had to be falling in love with your boss. 

“And I love you.” your voice broke a little by having your first big three being taken from you although you weren't even sure if you'd have another chance to say it. 

No one saw the goosebumps that traveled right through the man's spine, the words made him question everything he knew. He was happy with the women he have chosen but did that mean that he was in love or it meant that he was lonely enogh to confuse good sex with connection? 

Good for him (not exactly the way he would put it, though.) he didn't get any pillow talk with himself, he didn't get the chance to allow himself to sleep because the phone ringed in the middle of the night. 

When you made your way to the aparment that you currently lived in, leaving a sigh behind you when your door was finally locked again, you though that you could finally have some peace after the day you had. You most definitely weren't expecting it to be the day that Oswald would finally strike on you but then again you should've seen that coming. 

The L word was dropped for you right in front of his face, if a simple kiss tore his heart on pieces, the words that left Ed's throat were enough to let him awfully frail which happened to be when his thoughts were clotted with frustration. 

“You know why I'm here.” he rolled his eyes at your fake gasp.

A small smile crawled onto your face. “To hire me for a job, I assume.”

“Don't play dumb,” your name was spitted out of his mouth as it physically burned his insides. “I'm here to order you to stop whatever you are doing to Ed.”

The arragement the three made in the floor was installing hidden cameras, that was the moment they were hoping it could work enough to prove to Ed about Penguin's obsession. You only had to push him enough that he could confess but not as much in case the bad tempered psychopath could try to kill you. 

“I'm not doing anything to him.” you thought to yourself, adding a spark that could light his indignant mood up. “I'm doing him.”

His typical screams took long enough to show up. “I'm going to kill you. You know that, right?”

“He has already tragically lost one lover, would you kill me knowing that Ed could never forgive you?” 

“He's going to get through your death to realize that we are the love of each other's lifes.” Oswald smirked. “Besides, he doesn't have to know that I did it.”

“Why do I feel that I'm missing something?” you knew exactly what you were looking for and it all fell accord to your plan. 

“I cut the breaks of that stupid librarian.” His shoulders rested importance to the confession, making you almost as glad as horrified having to guess smehat reaction could the boyfriend have to it. 

The mayor wasn't the best at fights, that's why you imagined that there was a gun in him loaded to take revenge. You almost got a light sense of adrenaline, thinking who would've been your murderer or their motives on that story. A dispute between assasin that end badly for you or a mob boss reprehending you for missing a target.

“He's mine.” you managed to babble between your clenched fists or your furrowed brows. You didn't know when the actions of the man finally hit you, perhaps the way he talked about the smartest man alive as a five year old kid or that he actually convinced himself that the love between the two could've been reciprocated. 

Oswald waved the weapon pointing at your forehead with a taint of narcissism, he seemed proud to take every happiness, that wasn't caused by him, out of his best friend and he took joy in aming at a "trained dog" as he called you. 

The strenght of your hands fought for the dominance of the gun, having him shooting around in hopes that it could hurt you. Finally his hand gave in making you take the gun to yourself not noticing how rapidly he took a knife out of his walking stick. 

Now you were between the wall and the sword which happened to be Oswald's grip and his sharp knife. The gun wasn't of much use, if it had been any other contricant you could've of just shot the person in the face and briefly would've put pressure on whatever cut you had on your neck. But this was Oswald Cobblepot, a mission you were specifically paid not to kill, and you had to obey at any costs if it meant that in the end you would get paid. 

Your hand dropped the gun far away startling the man that laughed at you calling you "mental" which was pretty funny to you because of the irony of being called "mentally unstable" by a man that got locked up in a psychiatric hospital. Soon enough you were both laughing unstoppably until a light bulb flew right in your mind, making you grab the edge of the knife carving your skin by consequence and finally being able to hit him on the nose, having the man falling backwards to the bed. 

You shot the knife away to the corner of that room, cursing everytime you felt the object go above your injury. A look of puzzlement crossed his face, how could you not murder him right in that position after the show he built? 

Before his questions could probably slip out of the mouth that have tasted the flesh of his own step siblings, you knocked him out with a single clean hit on his temple. 

Of course, you had to scream. The knife damaged the hand you preferred using and that hit felt harsher that it should've been. But once the body fell back to the bed you didn't have time enough to allow yourself to react the way you wanted to, everything was easier when a persecution ended with the death of the target but this had drained your energy to the point where you considered finishing the job by killing Penguin for a personal motive. That personal motive was him making you lurch through the stairs you had just sauntered thinking about how much you needed a bed. 

As the man on your bed started to wake up, he heard the front door closing with a bang and started to attempt to get up, falling backwards once again as if he was pushed by his own head spinning around. 

You didn't stop to look back through the door, you didn't gave in with your curiosity of what would he do next but instead you glanced on your back every so often to check that you weren't being followed. 

Once you finally stepped on the property of the Sirens, Barbara hurried everyone out knowing something was not right. As she sneaked a peek out of your hand and your faltered walk, alongside with the shortness of breath, she opted for a more violent manner and quickly got the place empty after shooting the ceiling above them. 

“He bought the bait.” if you wouldn't have been that tired you could've of joke about it but having realized how far was the way from your place to the location you were in by running, you forgot all the jokes you had in mind.

The blonde dialed the number of the man with glasses, having him storming at the door in minutes searching for something with guilt all over his face. 

“Where...?” he yelled at Barbara only to have her pointing at your tired smile directed at him. “I told you this would happen.”

You managed to get a laugh out, recharging your energies after having your breath back. “Careful there, Eddie. People will think you care about me.” 

Even before the owner of the place could suggest looking at the cameras, Edward was already reaching for the first aid kit behind the counter.

Having the woman leaving with a roll of eyes after murmuring that she would be at her office made the interactions more intimate. He kneeled before you letting the fingertips trace abstract forms on your hand while he inspected it. 

His past at the GCPD being a forensic scientist was one of the subjects you two talked about one day, you were intrigued by the multiple stories he had and he adored the way your eyes made pretty clear your interests on what he had to say. 

His hands touched slightly the wound, making eye contact when he felt you tense and muttering an almost silent apology. Nevertheless he kept focus rubbing antiseptic ointment on top of it. Finally, resting his mind out of any remaining concern by bandaging the injury. 

“Aren't you going to kiss my boo-boo?” 

Interrupting a moment so serious like the recent one was something that he would've been annoyed by, but thanks to spending time with the person in front of him, he smiled with fake annoyance accomplishing to bring a smirk on her face.

Tabitha walked in with Butch, whistling to you and Nygma, saying that they had better things than smiling. Although he would've of backed up her comment, there was something about your lips that made him think otherwise. 

The five adults reunited in front of the screens while Barbara searched for that day's date and hours. Drawing all your attention to the actions that the mad man had made since he walked through the door of your floor. 

Chuckles didn't last to appear when you all observed the Penguin practicing the better pose to intimidate you with, always caring for the detail. You found that hilarious given that you were the least retailer person, you just mocked the victim to your satisfaction and ended the kill after you had your fun. It was better for you if the person didn't see you as a superior and got surprised when you got the job done amazingly, the look on their faces were priceless... except they weren't since you got your pay at the end of the day. 

Once you faced your enemy, the sound of silence invaded the room carefully moving their attention to your interactions.

Ed didn't hold the gasp that escaped his mouth once he saw his so-called best friend wanting to stop you, his "girlfriend", from seeing him even though he acted more happily since the death of his last girlfriend. His ears turned red when he heard that you were doing him, swallowing hard making his hands instinctively readjust the collar of his shirt. 

You knew what was coming in the video when you turned your gaze to Nygma, surprising at the movements and leaning at your left to whisper in his ear as a poor attempt to make him comfortable. 

“You really need to find better friends.” 

Your attempt made the his body freeze in it's place only to slowly intertwine your fingers together, hinding between the shadows inside the room where the only light was the computer screen in front of you. A flush crept your cheeks, moving yourself sneakly closer to him (a failed endeavour since he had to hide a snigger noticing how your organism reacted at such an intimate movement).

The confession didn't last to come, that moment was the time his head went spinning around. He began all that to revenge Isabella but then why was he drooling over a contract killer? Could it be that Kristin and Isabella were only a memory that kept him distracted from real truths such as him being a killer or his best friend hiding his feelings? Was he requiring that urgently a distraction from reality and then were you a distraction or the true love he had been waiting for? If you would had been a distraction you wouldn't of have gotten his mind so active, helping him to destroy the man who was slowing him down. Maybe you were the first woman he ever loved purely.

Withal his mouth choked a whimper by trembling the lips. The desperation almost wanting to persecute him and his feet leaving all sensibility, gluing themselves to the floor as if he wanted to stay in control by not stumbling around. 

You were watching the fight along with the others when you realized how tight the grip on your hand was becoming. Frowning, your free fingers got his attention when they rested on his cheekbones, the ones that you were so keen on. 

“He's mine.” the hoarse murmur coming from the screen resonated in his ears while he focused on the glimpse of worry inside your pupils. 

A chortle brought you both to conscience, Barbara celebrating the fight that was displayed a few centimeters from his face. You made no attempt to move your fingertips off the man until he finally looked back to where the entertainment was and you met his lips. 

The moment when you felt the mouth of the man was the first time that you craved being alone with him. You often wanted to kiss him because you felt how your body flinched at the sight of him, you were always well aware of your attraction, but after the events of the nights you just wanted to feel the lips of that man without having to show it to everyone. You needed for him to stop pretending and let his body take control of the situation, not his mind following a plan. Nevertheless, you moved your fingertip off his lips trying to make the cravings go away. 

The mayor's chief of staff admired how the person at his side grabbed the weapon's edge letting the blood fall off their hand. You felt how his hand squeezed yours again trying to hold his body back, now it wasn't pressure what made him freeze but arousal instead obliging his lips to ajar. 

As he watched now how you got the man who betrayed him unconscious with only one punch. He was far gone into his mind when a sigh left the breach of his mouth. Of course, the only one paying attention to him was the last one that he wanted to see how vulnerable your actions made him feel. 

“Amazing,” Tabitha was the first one to congratulate you once everyone presenced you running off the attempted homicide, “nice hit.”

Butch tooted, his way of expressing flattery, making you grin at the people who praised your sinister work. 

The reaction of the obsessed woman got interrumpted by her own sight catching the small detail that her partner's failed to see, the interlocked hands brought an assuaged beam into her factions. 

Edward noticed it and squeezed hard enough to get your attention to him, he wasn't sure how to react but given that he already came to peace with himself after self-therapy, he took advantage of the public honest display of attention. 

Once your eyes met, he questioned silvery. “How should we proceed?”

“First, I'll get some rest,” your hand slipped out of his, a cold breeze expressing the void that his hand and yours felt, continuing to talk after bopping the tip of his nose. “and then you decide how to proceed, boss.” 

Why would you leave the company of his palm was an interrogation that your own mind created. Missing the warm and lacking his closeness, you approached his face by centimeters with a teasing smirk so common on your mouth. 

“After all, I'm yours to command.” 

With that being said, leaving the man to hardly swallow not wanting to take his eyes out of you. How unfortunate was that the first time he finally desired to stroke your hair while you slept, was at the same night that the man he lived with tried to kill you. 

“If I didn’t know you any better,” you kept your minimal distance trying to intimidate the guy that once bombed a train station. “I’d say you’re blushing.”

He rolled his eyes not being able to stop the smile that was already on his face. “Bite me.”

“Gladly.” 

The uncomfortable stares from both Tabitha and Butch made an amused Barbara to interfere with the innuendos coming from the couple. You were too caught on what reactions he had, almost as if he wanted you to keep flirting with him.

Wasn't he in love with the librarian? What was all the affection you shared today? You were lost to say the least. 

Finally you gave up on the fight of stares for dominance, following the leader of the group who guided you to her car. You were staying at your friend's house while Nygma reluctantly came back to his shared house with a frown on his face. 

Penguin met him at the door, squinting his eyes with concern and headache. “What were you doing outside so late?”

“I was worried about you, Oswald-” he scattered a way to make the situation explode in his face taking for granted he was too manipulative to be an amateur at lying. “-What were you doing outside so late?”

“I visited my mother's grave.”

Playing the mother's card was easy for him, everyone knew his entire adoration for his mother and wouldn't dare to suspect he would lie about his beloved Gertrud. 

Edward touched his pillow remembering the events of the night with complete satisfaction, whereas you flipped around on the futon with intrusive memories that couldn't help but smile at with a quizzical glint on your mind. You didn't know what to think but the adrenaline of the day wore rapidly off your body, leaving a numb feeling on your body and making your eyes drop.

You forgot about Edward Nygma until you woke up and the first question that popped out of your mind was 'What would he be thinking about?'. 

The response came hours later when you were chuckling alongside the woman with the whip, whose laughter fell as her eyes looked at a point behind you muttering that your boyfriend was here. 

“It's suddenly hot in here,” you said not taking your eyes from the woman. “am I right Tabby?”

His burst of laughter ended being in your ear, his hands decorating your waist in a protective matter (as if you ever going to need protection, hah!) compelling Tabitha to fetch Barbara for him, leaving the two alone. The rush of your doubts and his touchy demeanor was driving you as insane as he was. 

“I took the day off.” he grinned waiting for you to catch up yourself and rolling his eyes when you scanned his face, reaching for answers. “I heard that the vice chief of staff is doing a great job at convincing the Penguin to meet Margaret Hearst.”

You shared the smile, “She's going to eat him alive!”

Edward enlightened both you and the woman who arrived later on, telling you both about how he contacted Basil and made the guy pretend to be his father, just like you suggested him. What he wanted to do next was sumed up in an invitation he did to you. 

“Would you like to come to dig the remains of Oswald's father with me?” his gaze seemed to want to daunt you. 

“Is Edward Nygma asking me out on a date?” you mocked him leaving your palms slightly squeezing his cheeks, expressing certain tenderness, “Are you the same guy that despised me at first?”

His hands roughly gripped your wrists, trying to keep them away from his face by gluing them to his chest, instantly forcing your breaths to dance together by the few inches they were from each other. 

“To be honest, it's all the because of the pick-up lines.” 

Chuckles came from both, whose eyes sneaked from the other's glance only to observe their lips. You bit your lip giving him the memory of you sorting out the Rubik's cube, a mischievous look possessed his increased pupils. 

Barbara cleared her throat. “What if Oswald sees you?”

“I'm a professional contract killer, Barbs,” you stated the obvious by resting one of your hands over her shoulder (the other one still being held captive by the forensic scientist). “besides do you think that I would reject such a hot proposal?”

Your arm dragged the lapel of his jacket making your way to his car where you two parted ways, he drove while you called shotgun.

Gothams cemetery was something that made your heart race since a portion of this people were your victims or Victor's. You hastened to search for Elijah Van Dahl's grave. 

While you took your jacket off, Edward was already digging with rolled up sleeves with a few strands of his slick back hair were out of place by cause of the force he used to remove the dirt. 

You couldn't help but gasp at the stunning figure in front of you, distracting his attention to you. “It is getting hotter out here.”

“If you keep complaining about how hot it is,” he faked annoyance as he left behind him his shovel to grab your hips aggressively. “I'll give you a reason to sweat.”

Your lips parted themselves at the tough conduct he had everytime you tried to flirt with him. But having him between your victims, about to destroy psychologically and psychically a man who betrayed him by reason of the oldest motive in the book, with your hips glued to his body while he stared at your lips open to show how turned on you were after his hoarse voice appeared; he wondered if he could eliminate the world with a snap of his fingers at that exact moment, with you between his arms. His chest grew bigger, filled with joy. 

Your mouths finally erased the line of pretend and reality while your hands disheveled the characteristic hair of the man only to respond by growling with satisfaction, fixing one hand on your waist and the other one prowling its way to your neck. Your tongues screamed with agony the passion that both had inside, the love that each other had awakened in the depths of your hearts. 

Once your assuage was calm enough, you pushed him slowly still keeping his forehead glued to yours in an intended intimate move. His eyes didn't open until his breath reached the peak of calmness, it all semeed very unrealistic and he feared that if he opened his eyes everything would be another fiction of his mind. At the instant your eyes met, you pecked his lips to finally pull apart without the ability of hiding the smile that invaded your face. 

“You better keep your promise because if you keep acting like that I'll continue complaining.” your comment erased any bewilderment in his face by replacing it with a big smile. 

You kept digging alongside with soft touches such as helping the other with the shovel or bumping your fingers while carrying the corpse. Even when the smell of rotten invaded your nostrils you couldn't do anything but to keep the grins plastered in your mind. 

When the body was well-preserved in a bag, you two looked around lost. You didn't have any place to crash at, an idea appeared on his head and soon you were stepping illegally inside the old home of Nygma.

“This is where I took care of a wounded penguin.” He intoned with a sorrow inside his look, you did nothing but to push him playfully to the kitchen. 

The day spent in a rush, everything felt like the afternoons where all you did was to talk and get to know the other one. You later discovered a melancholic side of the criminal that he wasn't sure of opening about it but did anyways. 

Soon night approached, leaving behind an Edward fulfilling all the visions of his hands running through your hair with care and protection while you managed to fall asleep between the murderous hands of that man. 

You were awaken by a smile inches from your mouth, staring at your sleepy sight being intimidated from the amount of light that entered through the window. 

“Hello,” your name coming out of his recently lips, the ones that you've kissed passionately the day before that, made your heart skip a beat. “would you care to join me for the cleanse of a crime scene?”

“Is that your version of a pick-up line?” your throat couldn't hide the laugh that your own joke brought to you. 

His eyebrows quirked while the hand that had grabbed your neck eager with lust now rushed it's fingertips encouraging the tachycardia. “Did it work?” 

“You had me at hello.” taking away your pretended gulp, his breath asphyxiated yours managing to straddle you between the mattress and his chest. 

You understood the true meaning behind a kiss, other than to feel the company of a person or being the entrance to a lascivious time. The kisses you shared with the Riddler were everything you two were too scared to admit out loud, the secrets and the loneliness that you witnessed rambling in your mind late at night, obliging your body to push your sorrowful tears down your face. 

Nonetheless your head spinned around searching for answers out of the person in question, you felt things that you didn't know if were returned even after having shared kisses full of _feelings_ due to the need of affirmation from him. 

Your hair being pushed back to the mattress between his steady fists fighting the grunt of satisfaction that your palms sinningly bringing his body closer provoked. 

A sound dared your wants to be put aside, Edward seemed to not care about it until it kept ringing finally getting your (not good) attention.

“What?” he sharply said, not taking his eyes out of your flustered conducts while you stood up looking for the shoes that you obviously took off when you went to bed at night. “Of course I didn't forget, we're on our way... What do you care who I bring with me?” the offended tone of the person resonated outside the device, causing a roll of eyes from Nygma, which turned to be an amused smile when he heard you laugh. “A little too sensitive, old friend? Not a morning person, I assume. I'm bringing my lover.”

The word itself induced the sensation of the air being spitted out of your lungs, the ground you were stepping on was now flying away along with every object in the room. Gravity seemed to be a nightmare conjured only to kept people from feeling free. But it all went back to the place it belonged when Ed announced that they needed to go. 

Subtle touches being the tokens of intimacy didn't miss the trip. Feeling the other closer was beginning to be their thing. Interlocked hands, pats on the shoulder or even mocking bops on the noses, the most innocents ways of letting the other know that they were paying attention. 

Your eyes fluttered at the town hall, it always amazed you how good being law-abiding paid because even if most politicians were corrupt, the building weren't made on blood money. 

A hand on your lower back guided you while your legs crossed the office of the chief of staff where you locked the door after catching the glance of where a man's head was hit to death with a golf trophy. 

“Oh my god,” you shrieked picking up the stained homicidal weapon. “why would anyone apply for a golf competition?” 

That triggered a burst of laughter inside the man with two empty bags in his hands, who traded the object in your hands for a bag. “I find golfing very interesting.”

“Oh, really?” there was something in your words that by now Edward fully understood, plunging himself to your flirty behaviour.

The way who reacted accomplished to get a proud smile on your face while you helped him carry the body inside the bag without staining any more things. 

“I haven't killed anyone in about a month, I'm feeling the abstinence already.” The silence broke when you were scrubbing the blood off the floor by his side. A grumble between frustrated gritted teeth encouraged you to continue even though most of his attention was being directed to the scarlet liquid. “How did you do that?”

Disconcert filled him entirely, taking a moment to put the tools apart. “Do what?”

“How did you manage to play along with the whole lawful act?” he understood right away your question, begining to move the cogs inside his mental machine. ”Weren't you the man that ended the almighty Jim Gordon?”

You never saw a head snap so fast in your life and you broke necks for a living. “You knew about that?”

“I do my research for work, boss...” you playfully tapped at his arm, gaining a raise eyebrow from him. “I've seen it in the Gotham daily.”

“I guess I was too worried of getting away from Arkham that, when Penguin rescued me, I got felt compelled to...”

“Serve him?” your intend to continue the explanation made him gasp. 

“I did not serve him,” you should've been scared of making a murderer angry but you smirked. “we were ruling together.”

“Is that so?” 

Something in the way you smiled made the guy throw you a side smiled, provoking his amused annoyance. Before any of you could proceed, a knock on the door injected nervousness in your body.

Basil made himself known after Nygma allowed him to enter, blabbering about the currect location of Nygma. Finally his attention fell upon you. 

“Oh the significant other, what's driven you to end up with dangerous men like us?” 

The derogatory question boiled your blood and the black-haired chuckled while he shooked his head indicated having started off the wrong foot. 

The blade of the knife your ankle guarded for protection was now over his neck, threatening to slash it from one cut. His arms took a defensive position indicating an unspoken white flag. 

The noon ran quickly between disposing the corpse that you managed to hide in the trunk, throwing the rotten remains of Penguin's father at a chinese restaurant's dumpster on the way to a few places that Ed needed to take things from for Oswald's trap. 

You were waiting for Edward to finish his errands, sitting on a bench, when you caught the glimpse of a green suit that flickered a switch on you. 

Meanwhile Edward walked to your encounter with his head about to get set on fire by his own thoughts. Your words about missing the blood connected with him more than they should've of. He didn't miss the chase but he craved for the rush once again, he was eager to have the control on his hands. And he was about to tell you when his eyes fell upon the suit that took your breath away. 

“You are confusing me.” 

The forensic scientist shot a curious look at your side since your eyes were restraining from gazing away from the clothes. He knew what you meant by just analyzing the factions of the face he desired the most. 

Finally sighing, he responded, “Confusion is a part of it, that's how you find out if something's there.”

Taking that as a cut from the topic, you interlaced your fingers between his'. Caressing his cheek with uneasiness, you felt his muscles relax over your palm. 

Ed's dark eyes stared at you blankly waiting for your words, instead you pecked his lips with strenght. You needed to know if he was really there. He maintained his eyes pressed tightly and his lips barely open, loudly breathing while feeling his entire heart crumble with the strong bolt of rush that felt kissing the one that you craved.

“You need to get that suit.” 

Deciding to continue your traditional arguments, he mocklingly defied you. “Make me.”

Before he could even think the consequences of that promise, your hand strongly handled a stunt where his body was centimeters away from collapsing. A giggle didn't fail to escape his mouth, completely enamoured with your clenched jaw staring back at his eyes with mischievousness. 

He got the suit. 

You two ended up in Ace chemicals when your stare competitions and villanous tasks finished, setting everything up while you stared at the back of his neck with a smile. 

“Take a picture, it'll last longer.” 

Making your way to his behind, you hugged his waist feeling him hug the fists that waited for him on his chest. Your height didn't come close to his by any chance, even if you were average size. 

“It's been a pleasure being kidnapped with you.” his words were muffled by a kiss on your hands that were now being held by his own fingers.

Your voice stumbled with his back but he still heard them clearly. “Prove it.” 

Instead of doing something about it, you heard an exhalation and your hands were moved up enough so he could hug them between his neck and his left shoulder. 

When you separated, he took his phone out calling for Penguin and ending the conversation you were maintaining. 

Silence crept in the couple's ears just staring at each other until the breaks of a car roared on the outside being the que that made you hide between the shadows. 

The Cobblepot made his desperate entrance only to interrogate Edward about his safety. His deadpan voice asked the question that made you charge your gun. “Did you bring anyone else?”

“What? Why? No, uh.” panting at his own existential crisis after the so-called love of his life got kidnapped he didn't notice the sound you made until the brains of the bodyguards were blown away by two single bullets. 

You couldn't help but smile at his confusion when he peeked at your figure completely calm. Killing after a long time was even better than you reckon to be. 

The hint of happiness was erased of your face when Ed referred as the crashed car as Isabella's. 

“I know it was you, Oswald. Isabella was my everything and you took her from me and now I've taken everything from you.” her voice was harsh, expressing his pain while dancing his hands with the words. “Well, almost everything since you have your life but that ends tonight.” 

Oswald raised his eyebrows not seeming to put the things together. “I still don't understand.”

“You want to know how I know what you did?” your head hurted believing the confessions that he made and questioning yourself if the man still loved her. “You threatened once again someone I love, you didn't stop even after I crashed in pieces after the first loss.”

“Oh, please. You only wanted that one because you couldn't move on from the librarian's death.” even between the verge of tears, the cruelty of Oswald searched for a target and spotted your downcasted responses. 

“He hired me, you oblivious umbrella boy. He never loved me in the first place.” your voice fought back the sorrow, “It was all orchestrated because Edward didn't want to believe how his best friend would stab his back like that.”

Quirked eyes astounded by your words began to get more heated by the minute. He showed you a ton of his vulnerable sides and you dared to think it was all because he hired you? Rage wasn't even a word at this point. 

The minuscule body of the king of the underworld was dragged to the car where he got tied up while he seeked for answers. His father's ghost was what confused him the most. 

Once again, the revenge on the girl being the impulse on the mission caused for her name to be brought up again. “I had her killed but you should thank me because we both know what would have happened if I hadn't.”

“Yes, I could've of lived a life with a woman I thought I loved.”


	4. the fourth mistake

The fourth mistake.

That sentence finally got your tears to run off your face. You finally understood why you never felt what you felt with Edward, your heart shrunken at the words. You thought you were his 'lover' now, his "significant other'.

“You would've killed her,” a slap provided by Edward hit his cheek enfuriating him more. “just like you did the other one. You couldn't have helped it and afterwards you would've hated yourself.” 

“Well, we'll never know, will we?”

His smirk confused Edward, his sight playing between the Riddler and you. “We'll never know what could've happened with Isabelle but it seems to me that you'll get your answer sooner than you think.” 

His head caught up with his words, running to your place where your face was buried with embarrasment between the palms of your hands. His fingers moved your chin up with carefulness and worry, it seemed too real for you.

“I found what I searched for but I'm still confused, Ed.” 

His name between your teeth made him want to whimper with guilt. “What's confusing you?”

“You.” 

“I know you feel what I feel.” he said, ignoring the sobs from Oswalds at the background.

Your lips got closer to him, feeling the salt of your tears after the tsunami of sadness. ”You just said you loved her.”

And with that, the fourth mistake fell upon you shoulders breaking the curse of the three. You were surprised, to say the least, when you understood the words that flew out of your mouth. 

After admitting the love for him to yourself, you figured that nothing else could be worse than that. Oh, how naive you were. The feeling rushing through your veins after admiting that to him was far worse than that. 

“I said I thought I loved her,” his nose bumping into yours was what gave him reassurence, “but even if we started off pretending I've never felt something more real in my life.” the fingertips twirling in your neck made you drop a choked laugh. “You are the one I truly love.”

Both foreheads fell into the other's with shortness of breath, letting the feelings of showing yourselves at the most vulnerable embrace the bodies. Palms on the sides of each neck at an attempt to prove the desperation for the other, a move of need. 

A susurrated claim got your attention. “I did it for love.”

“Shut up!” Edward made his way to put a hand over his mouth to keep him from talking. “Love is about sacrifice, it's about putting someone else's needs and happiness before your own.”

With that words and a few other more that you were too numbed to pay attention to because of the events of that night, you intertwined your arm with Edward Nygma's being very aware that now the four was your new lucky number. 

Your fourth, and worse, mistake was becoming the lover of the soon-to-be serial killer that would terrorize Gotham with his riddles and green question marks. Being the worse because you had put a beginning to the murderous couple that did not fail to make the city burn.


End file.
